Sony does Raph

[Margalis]

This is a theory we'd like to suggest to the gaming community, including developers." Citing "Game 1.0" as the era of Atari, arcades, and both 8-and 16-bit -- in other words, the era of self-contained experiences -- and "Game 2.0" as the genesis of online gaming, he then referenced the new generation of gaming consoles as "Game 3.0," in which the user, rather than developers, is key to content creation.

http://ps3.gamespy.com/articles/770/770997p1.html

Mii + MySpace + Second Life (without, you know, actually creating stuff) + Achievements + Habbo Hotel + CokeMusic  + Streaming Ads =

I'd actually rather have developers making games than "content creation" in the form of 13-year-olds telling Chuck Norris jokes.

This should be interesting. I'm not opposed to the idea but it doesn't really appeal to me as anything other than a diversion. Something to do when I have no actual games to play.

[eldaec]

The thing I never understand about these projects to create a community driven 'cyberspace', is how they are supposed to compete with 'the internet'.

'The internet' comes up with shit like YouTube, Napster, Myspace and whathaveyou. The actual quality of the content on these things is secondary to the coolness and newness of what they are trying to do.

The sort of thing Sony are talking about is at best going to provide less edgy versions of these concepts, long after they stop being cool in their original form. The only way these things can sustain themselves is by having really good content, much like iTunes is popular despite being a really old idea because it delivers on content in a way that the community driven originals could not.

The niche for consoles is providing the iTunes type mass-marketable version of things-invented-elsewhere.

My prediction for this nonsense is that the community content elements will mostly fail, you'll be left with a silly bloatware interface to use as a multiplayer lobby.

[Murgos]

There are some people who are good at making movies.  We call them directors and actors and producers and such.

There are some people who are good at making games.  We call them game developers.

This (and youtube) is the million monkeys approach, make enough random noise and hope an interesting pattern emerges.  Sure, they will occasionally produce something worthwhile but you got to sift a lot of noise to find it.  Or, I can just pay and get something by someone who knows, at least marginally, what they are doing.

[stray]

I don't think this is a bad idea for a thread, but we have two pages of discussion on it already. Maybe someone can merge them?

you'll be left with a silly bloatware interface to use as a multiplayer lobby.

All PS3 games will have traditional lobbies as well, like they already do. This is a seperate icon in the main XMB interface (i.e. optional, and for people who want a virtual space, not for people who don't).

[eldaec]

you'll be left with a silly bloatware interface to use as a multiplayer lobby.

All PS3 games will have traditional lobbies as well, like they already do. This is a seperate icon in the main XMB interface (i.e. optional, and for people who want a virtual space, not for people who don't).

Ok, I stand corrected, you'll be left with a silly bloatware interface you could use as a multiplayer lobby, but nobody will bother.

[stray]

I may not bother with it much, but I can only speak for myself.


[EDIT]

OK, this is funny.

Following Sony's announcement of its new online community software, PS Home, Nintendo has gone on the offensive, deeming the service "an example of Sony's 'Mii-too' approach."

When asked of the company's thoughts on Sony's online plans, Nintendo told CVG: "This is an example of Sony's "Mii-too" approach. But as Mr. Miyamoto states, Nintendo years ago considered and rejected the type of approach Sony is now taking", presumably referring to creating a virtual online world.

/laugh at the bolded text

He should stopped it right at the Mii comparison. It could be a valid complaint. Maybe (though all kinds of games have had customizable avatars before Mii. Even Sony ones).

The bit about them saying they considered making a virtual world years ago is hilarious though.

[Fabricated]

Sony does what Nintendon't!

[Sairon]

I think the whole home deal is a smart move. Sure, most of us here couldn't care less about it, but I'm sure it's going to be a reason for the mainstream to consider getting a PS3. Nintendo can bitch about Sony copying them, but from the looks of it, it seems like Sony intends to throw a heck of a lot more money at it than Nintendo has.

[Yegolev]

Nintendo still has not figured out that their halfass implementations of great ideas is what keeps their competitors in business.

[stray]

Whatever idea they had wasn't even half-assed. More like non-existent. It probably amounted to discussing Everquest and Animal Crossing one day in the boardroom -- and then dropping the discussion.

While Sony, for better or worse (mostly worse), have been at the top of the game in dealing with virtual worlds and mmos for awhile now. Even this idea apparently started on the PS2 (according to Phil Harrison@1Up). They didn't take anything from Nintendo.

[Samwise]

I'm pretty sure I've heard of Japanese MMOish things that consist almost solely of decorating virtual apartments with furniture that you buy with real money, so you can invite girls over to see all your expensive stuff and then possibly cyber.  I can't be arsed to dig up a link right now, but it sounds plausible, doesn't it?

I think many people will really get into this.

[stray]

I know there's a lot of dating sims there (single player adventure type games), but I think online gaming in general kind of takes a back seat over there. It'd probably be bigger in EU and NA.

[Trippy]

Games like Habbo Hotel are huge in Asia.

[stray]

Asia, but Japan specifically?

[Trippy]

Asia, but Japan specifically?

Dunno. Raph could probably tell us. Japan is weird cause they are much more console focused than, say, Korea and China so the games the Japanese like to play can vary greatly from their neighbors.

[HaemishM]

You can already have other people's Mii's come over to yours, show up as players (not live players) in the games that use Mii's as avatars (currently only Wii Sports) and just generally ass around in your Mii parade. That is they have your friend's code and you let your Mii's travel. While Nintendo's Internet virtual world stuff is definitely quarter-assed currently, they have been thinking about it. They just need games that use it.

[voodoolily]

You can already have other people's Mii's come over to yours, show up as players (not live players) in the games that use Mii's as avatars (currently only Wii Sports) and just generally ass around in your Mii parade. That is they have your friend's code and you let your Mii's travel. While Nintendo's Internet virtual world stuff is definitely quarter-assed currently, they have been thinking about it. They just need games that use it.

They will also periodically show up in some minigames of WarioWare Smooth Moves.

[Yegolev]

Whatever idea they had wasn't even half-assed. More like non-existent. It probably amounted to discussing Everquest and Animal Crossing one day in the boardroom -- and then dropping the discussion.

Oh, sure, but that's what I was talking about.  Haemish's term "quarterassed" is probably better, since I was thinking back to when N stated that online gaming was a fad.  I am pretty sure that it was brought up but Miyamoto (or someone at his level) said "That's dumb, do it my way and we will sell more cables and GBAs." or maybe "I don't have internet access and I'm fine".  I compare it to introducing the analog stick, but putting it on that stupid N64 controller instead of an improved SNES controller... like their competition did.

[stray]

Where is Raph anyways? He never misses an opportunity to talk about himself. 

[Trippy]

Where is Raph anyways? He never misses an opportunity to talk about himself. 

He's at GDC.

[Krakrok]

I'm pretty sure I've heard of Japanese MMOish things that consist almost solely of decorating virtual apartments with furniture that you buy with real money, so you can invite girls over to see all your expensive stuff and then possibly cyber.  I can't be arsed to dig up a link right now, but it sounds plausible, doesn't it?

It's Cyworld.com.

[schild]

Cyworld is the Korean MySpace. What he's describing is slightly different.

My CyWorld.

[stray]

Where is Raph anyways? He never misses an opportunity to talk about himself. 

He's at GDC.

/slaps forehead


On a sidenote, Harrison said that Home has been in development for two years. So now I'm kind of wondering if Raph had anything to do with the initial discussions of it. Or more.

[Ironwood]

Damn, I came here for hawt bearded developer porn.  Instead it's an actual story.

[eldaec]

Damn, I came here for hawt bearded developer porn.  Instead it's an actual story.

Also, about consoles. Putting Sony and Raph in the title made me think SOE, turned out to be the ol' bait and switch.

[Margalis]

I'm a callous deceiver.

[Ironwood]

One of the lesser known Monkees songs.